Heaven fell into the ocean, or was always there. Sirens, or angels, fished out the most delicious morsels and served them on a plate. Divine lobster, miraculous oysters. I am inspired, refreshed, delighted, in awe. My vessel now glows with grateful, and sated, salvation. read more

Skates On The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

It had been many years since I last visited Skates, but my girlfriend mentioned that it would be nice to have romantic dinner together for a nice change. The service staff were nice, the atmosphere was mostly nice, except for the two young girls who were seated next to us, who looked like they had to take a hundred photos of each other, in different poses for their no doubt social media content. We had cocktails, appetizers and entree's, no desert. My girlfriend had the Halibut, commented that it was too salty and just left it on the plate. As we wound down for evening the bill ($284.00) was presented to us, and the waitress asked how we enjoyed our entrees. My girlfriend showed the waitress her full plate, that by now was pushed to the side, and mentioned nicely that it was inedible for her due to it being too salty. The waitress expressed that she was sorry about that, took my credit card and brought back my bill. The rapport with the waitstaff person was cordial throughout. *Here is was what was wrong. I made a bet with my girlfriend that the waitstaff person would charge us for her meal, despite our comment about it. I was right. We were charged for the Halibut, as though nothing was said...Now that, left me with a terrible taste in my mouth...!!!! read more

We had our event at this location last Friday for the very first time and I am so amazed with the service that we have received from the team. Beatriz and Caitlin took care of our needs and made sure everyone will be served on time. We were a party of 38 guests and everything went well. Food is great! Love the steak and crème brûlée. The set up is elegant! The view is phenomenal. For me, with the service and care that I have received from Beatriz we will definitely be back for our next event. Thank you please recognize her professionalism. read more

The seafood was so fresh, and the atmosphere was beautiful, with amazing ocean views and a gorgeous sunset. Our waitress was absolutely wonderful. She had curly hair and was wearing a pair of beautiful statement earrings. She was so attentive and observant that she seemed to know exactly what I needed before I even said anything. It was like she could read my mind! She was incredibly thoughtful and made us feel so well taken care of. We had such a wonderful dining experience and would definitely come back! read more

See all

The only reason to come here is for the view. Some table decided that it was too bright and the waitress just lowered tge blinds next to my table, didn't even ask.. The place feels like an old folks home, and the food is just as bland as you would expect read more

This is a rare find. Great food with also a great view! The complimentary bread is so good! You will definitely ask for more. I got the linguine prawn pasta. 10/10!!! Next time I will have to try the rest of the menu. Our server was nice and friendly. Since I was in a work lunch I couldn't try their drinks so also next time I would try their drinks because they look appealing. read more

See all

Been there by choice, and I kind of like it. Especially the view was amazing. The taste of the food is worth the price. However, I wish it were a little tastier. The service was absolutely good. Will come back if I have a chance. read more

See all

What an amazing experience! We came here to celebrate my annual celebration of life and was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance, the food, and the general atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, we were impressed by how many people they managed to fit in the place for 1 night, service was a bit slow, but our server, Carrie, and the experience honestly made up for it. The views were spectacular. I had such a great time eating my food that I honestly forgot to take a photo of it. Highly recommend this place for a great date night, special occasion spot, or if you just want to treat yourself. Go right before sunset so you can enjoy the great views. Did I mention that the restaurant is on stilts? Enough said. read more

Skates On The Bay - Sunset photos from inside - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

Growing up in Berkeley, this place is always a staple in our household! The food is always delicious and never disappoints ! We had the orange honey glazed Salmon..so delicious, melt in your mouth good ! The only down side was Broccolini that was grilled and not steamed which made it dry and a little hard to eat .. The Yukon gold mashed potatoes were perfect! We ended dinner with a tasty crème brûlée .. The service was excellent as well.. .. The star of the show as usual were the views! Can't wait to come back again, until next time, Happy Eating read more

See all

The first bite made me feel like Anton Ego eating Ratatouille and it reminded him of the warm home cooked meals his mother made. Breathtaking views. Absolutely stunning and very romantic. My date and I were strolling through the trails and ended our night having dinner here and perfectly caught the sunset along the San Francisco Bay, truly romantic. The host was welcoming and picked the perfect seat for us to enjoy the golden hour. Our waiter Gregory was also superb, warm, welcoming and I really enjoyed the meal he gave me more details on. Both my date and I truly enjoyed the tasty food, the way all the ingredients harmoniously paired with one another. What more do you ask for if the California Sunsets take you on an ethereal experience pairing it with superb food and company. read more

See all

Don't do it! Take her to another place! I found three different hairs in 3 different orders... the rice in the sushi is mushy, the rice in the entree is hard. All the rest of the food flavor was off, bathrooms are gross. To top it off... I went online to change my reservation for today and when I got there they said I had no reservation. The only good thing about this place is the view. read more

Skates On The Bay - Example of mushy sushi - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

The service was top notch and great atmosphere. Beautiful sunset view right on the water. Within walking distance from the Double Tree Hotel. Had Crab claws and linguine. Linguine was a little over done but great experience. read more

Skates On The Bay - From the entrance - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

A hazy sunny Bay Area day while dining at Skates on the Bay. This is our second time visiting this spot while tripping to Berkeley. We were seated all most immediately in the restaurant's bar area. As I had remembered from our previous dining experience here the place is very popular, probably a result of the water views and views of downtown San Francisco. The view of Frisco is amazing from this location. We began the experience with a half dozen oysters and a couple lobster bisques. This was a nice start! Next up were our entrees, a lobster tail with asparagus, roasted potatoes, and clarified butter, and a romaine Caesar with fresh crab. Both were tasty. We ended with dessert, key lime pie and chocolate molten cake with caramel and vanilla ice cream. Our server Domnick was attentive and welcoming and also provided excellent service. read more

See all

It ended up being such a nice experience, especially with the beautiful waterfront setting. The servers were so friendly and welcoming. They even offered to take birthday pictures for us and brought out a complimentary birthday dessert, which was such a thoughtful touch! The food was really good. My son ordered the chicken strips and fries from the kids' menu, and I could immediately tell the chicken was homemade. The batter tasted fresh, the chicken was hot and crispy. I ordered the Chicken Club and substituted the fries for a side salad. The salad was actually a really good portion for a side and had several different vegetables, which made it much better than your typical little side salad. I personally wasn't a fan of the vinegar dressing, but that's just my preference. The Chicken Club, however, was AMAZING! It had a great amount of meat, bacon, fresh avocado, and perfectly toasted multigrain bread. That bread was actually one of my favorite parts! The sandwich was fresh, filling, and full of flavor. Definitely something I'd order again. My grandparents really enjoyed their omelette and Crab Benedict, and they loved their meals. My husband also got the Crab Benedict and really enjoyed it. It's more like a crab patty with the poached egg and Benedict toppings on top, and he said it was flavorful and very good. For drinks, some of us had mimosas while the others tried the Dragon Fizz mocktail. We actually heard the name and ordered it and didn't even realize it said mocktail, however, we were still really impressed! The Dragon Fizz was SO good! It was different, refreshing, and definitely something I'd order again if I didn't want to drink and it was just as pretty as a mimosa so we could do some videos The ambience was really nice, and being right next to the water made it even better. The only thing I didn't really appreciate was the extremely long wait for the mimosas. We completely understood that it had just opened and it was a very busy Sunday brunch, but my husband ordered one and it was forgotten. By the time we reminded our server, it was quite awhile wait. Then when we had already finished our food, gotten boxes, ordered dessert, received the birthday dessert, sang happy birthday to my grandma, shared the dessert, finished dessert, and were getting ready for the check. That's when the mimosas finally arrived! It was especially frustrating because we actually wanted to continue ordering mimosas for the table for celebration, and the half of us who got mocktails decided to take part in the mimosas but after the long wait we just decided not to, so the long wait definitely put a damper on that part of the experience. Other than the mimosa wait, we had a really good overall experience. The food was good, the staff was friendly, the atmosphere was beautiful, and most importantly, we got to celebrate my grandma's birthday somewhere that already holds special memories for my grandparents. read more

See all

This is a Berkeley staple and I haven't been since I was a kid! I came here after a Cal Berkeley graduation and I love how their menus had the Cal logo on it to congratulate the new grads. The restaurant is still beautiful and it was nice to see my children enjoy the stunning view now. I mostly munched on appetizers - crab and artichoke dip, calamari, a sushi roll, and a lemon drop. I'm a little picky about my crab dips so I thought it was just okay. But everything else was 10/10. The staff was in a great mood and they were attentive to our large party. read more

See all

Wanted to try a nice place for lunch and this popped on Google when searching for places in the area. Beautiful scenery from all of the windows when walking in. We had a window seat which was great Menu had a variety of items for everyone to choose from. Pasta dish with Shrimp very good, a little spicy from the red pepper flakes. Garlic bread very good Calamari very good Chicken with Couscous was not good. Chicken was dry and we sent back and tried again and second piece just as dry and flavorless Sirloin Steak-Good Cesar salad with Crab very good. FYI side of crab $15 Chicken sandwich-Good read more

See all

The server, Ryan, was the best waiter we ever had! He was so accommodating and just a genuinely nice person! He even said "goodbye" to us at the door when we were leaving. As we were celebrating a birthday it was such a pleasant experience! Give him a raise! read more

This is still one of my favorite restaurants to visit when I get a chance. It's two hours away from home so it's not often. I love the view of the water and being able to see all three bridges from the restaurant, the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, and Richmond Bridge from the same spot. The soup wasn't as good as it usually is but I still like it. I also had the pasta with prawns which was really good. I loved the rich creamy sauce but it was overshadowed by too many red pepper flakes, and took away from nice flavor. I told the server, who said she'd let the cook know, but it wasn't acknowledged or redone with less heat, so I just took it home to see what I could do at home. Not sure about paying over $40 after tax, and $7 tip and not able to eat it. Our favorite is the bread with the buttery garlic sauce on top. My daughter had the prime rib dip, which was a little dry. The service was adequate. We got everything we asked for (ice for our water, horseradish, etc). I still love this place but I hope it gets back to the level it was before, which was 5 stars. read more

See all

Staple restaurant in the Berkeley area. Beautiful water views, plenty of parking. Highly recommend coming for weekend brunch. The menu is reasonable, and they offer classic breakfast plates as well as more 'adventurous' fare like poke and sashimi. The poke was surprisingly very good. Pass on the sushi. The servers are patient and nice. read more

See all

Skates on the Bay did an overall nice job with my in-laws' 50th anniversary! There were some snafus with the initial reservation due to staff turnover but we eventually got the contract finalized. They have beautiful bay views, tasty entrees, and a private event room in the heart of the restaurant. The day of coordinators/servers were also very helpful during the event and brought everything out in a timely fashion. The guests raved about the event and had a lovely time. I also liked my prawn linguini and key lime pie. I also enjoyed the happy hour with friends in the past. Recommend having your event here! read more

See all

Skates on the Bay - Berkeley, CA Beautiful views, but the service didn't match the setting. I visited on a Monday evening with my cousin who always makes it a point to come here when she's in town. Since we didn't have a reservation, we sat in the bar area. After being seated, it took about 20 minutes before we were able to order. The bartender was kind and helped get things started, but service throughout the visit felt slow and a bit unwelcoming. Water and bread weren't brought out until we asked, and after placing our order, there was very little follow-up. We ended up waiting over an hour before asking for the check. We ordered The Unveiling, which had a beautiful presentation but leaned heavily on the tequila. The Crab & Avocado Roll was a highlight -- fresh Dungeness crab and great flavor. The updated focaccia-style bread was also a nice touch. The view of the bay, with both bridges visible, continues to be the standout here. One thing to note: parking is now paid. Overall, while the food and views still have their appeal, the service during this visit took away from the experience. read more

See all

Somehow, I'd never been here even though I grew up in the Bay. Finally, after recently moving back to the Bay as a full-grown adult, I finally got the opportunity to visit through my company. I told my dad I was coming here and thought it was so cute that he used to take my mom here on dates when they were young. We had a great group of us for lunch with great views and vibes. Yes, it's pricey, but the food was quite good. Crab Artichoke Dip - 9/10 Honey Chipotle Shrimp - 8/10 Calamari - 8/10 Clam Chowder - 8/10 Lobster & Shrimp Roll - 9/10 If you need a nice seafood date place, this is a great place. Service was great, food was good even though prices were high, but I was in no place to complain. read more

Great service by Caitlin. Walk-in for lunch on a clear day. Lovely view of the Bay and S.F. We enjoyed the Lobster Bisque and the California Dungeness crab roll to share. One of us had the gem salad with scampi... fresh lettuce and vegetables...and the other had the lobster/crab roll. Both were well prepared and we would come again. read more

My family and I (party of 10) had a 12 noon lunch reservation last Saturday, 7/11, for my 65th birthday celebration. My husband and I arrived at 11:30 am and the table was ready and one of the hosts promptly put the menus on the place settings. I like the fact that the tables were far enough apart so noise from other tables was not an issue. Dominic was our server and he provided excellent service. He promptly took drink orders when our party arrived, followed by the appetizer and main course orders. We never had to wait for service. He always came over at the right time. The drinks and food all came out promptly. After we finished eating, Dominic then asked if he could bring out my birthday cake that they held for me. Finally, he brought out my goodie bags that were held for me after the cake. We couldn't have asked for a better server. Despite a packed restaurant, he clearly anticipated our needs and we never had to search for him. The food was very good as well. I definitely recommend the shrimp and lobster roll, the salmon and the calamari and rainbow roll appetizers. For drinks, the exotic mojito was delicious. Skates is an ideal nice occasion restaurant - white tablecloths, great food, great service, full height windows with gorgeous views of the bay and plenty of parking. I highly recommend Skates! read more

See all

First of all, the ambiance here is always so beautiful. Sitting by the bay with the big windows just feels so nice and relaxing, definitely a first-class vibe. The food is always amazing, and the service today was excellent . Our server, Jonathan, was super attentive, professional, and just made us feel really taken care of. We come here a lot, but today was extra special, we were celebrating my dad's 91st birthday. Jonathan made it feel really special and they even brought out a creme brulee with a candle, which was such a sweet touch. We ordered the fish and chips, prime rib sandwich, a lobster dish, and the Asian fusion filet tacos everything was so good and cooked to perfection. We also had a few glasses of wine, it was just a perfect lunch. This place never disappoints. Always a great experience. If you're in the area, you should definitely check it out and ask for Jonathan, he's the best! read more

See all

The restaurant is beautiful. It's literally on the bay. There's plenty of parking. I came by to get food to go. I had a $25 bday coupon to use. So I got the fish and chips. And a bowl of clam chowder. The fish stayed crispy and it was cooked perfectly. It was served with some lemon wedges and house made tartar sauce. The soup was good. I didn't really care for the fries. They were ok. There's a lot of happy hour/lunch specials. I've never been here any other time. This would be a great place to go to before the sunset. Great service from the hostess who took my order. She also brought me my food and asked if I needed utensils. On the way to the restaurant, you'll probably see a bunch of wild turkeys running around. read more

See all

Came and had lunch with my husband. We got the crab dip to start. Very yummy. I got the lobster roll and he got an open faced crab sandwich but ordered it with an extra slice of bread to close face it. The food was yummy. Service was pretty good until we finished our food and then it took forever to get boxes and the check. Nice quiet lunch with a beautiful view of the water. read more

Skates On The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

We got salmon, salad and fish and chips! Make reservations so you don't have to wait too long. read more

Skates On The Bay - Fish and Beer Battered Fish & Chips Arugula & Fresh Berry SaladSalad - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

Excellent view. Attentive service. Private parking lot. The food was good but not great. I would return and try something else. read more

See all

On Christmas Day, I decided to dress up and take myself on a solo dinner date. The holidays can be hard when your immediate family is out of state, so I was really looking forward to a peaceful meal with a beautiful waterfront view. Although I arrived about 20 minutes late, I called ahead and confirmed that I would still be seated by the window. I was told yes. When I arrived, I was seated quickly--but unfortunately not by the window. Instead, I was placed near the kitchen, where it was loud with constant clanking and servers rushing back and forth. There were plenty of open window tables, and I arrived about 40 minutes before closing. When I asked the host for a better seat and pointed out the open tables, I was told those were reserved for larger parties. That was disappointing, especially since I had already confirmed the seating over the phone. Once seated, service continued to fall short. No water was offered, and I waited for quite a while before finally stopping someone walking by to ask for it. My waiter didn't come to the table for another 10-15 minutes and seemed rushed and anxious, offering very short responses when I asked questions. The timing of the food was off. My Caesar salad came before my appetizer, then the appetizer, then the bread. The wine I ordered didn't arrive until I was halfway through my appetizer, even though the bread and wine should have come first. The calamari was the highlight--zesty, flavorful, and honestly a 10/10. The salad was fine but unremarkable; I expected something more elevated from an upscale restaurant. The steak and mashed potatoes arrived lukewarm, and while I cleared my own plates to make space, no one came to remove them. My water glass sat empty until I asked for a refill. The main course was very mid--honestly comparable to something you'd get at Denny's or IHOP, not a higher-end restaurant. With an appetizer, three-course meal, and crème brûlée for dessert, the total came to $115. Despite the poor service, I still left a $30 tip. Maybe solo diners don't get the same attention. Maybe the seating location made it hard for staff to notice me. Maybe my waiter was having a rough day. Whatever the reason, the experience didn't match the price point or reputation. I wanted this to be a special solo holiday dinner, but unfortunately it fell short. Do better. read more

See all

Food: 5 stars Ambiance 4 stars Service: 5 stars My partner and I came here for his company's holiday dinner. Our party of about 25 people was set up in a private room. An appetizer buffet was set up with coconut shrimp, sushi rolls, bruschettas, artichoke dip, and a cheese/fruit platter. There was a three course menu for the evening with a couple of choices for each course. First course was choice b/w Lobster bisque or wedge salad The second course was a 13 oz prime rib, fettuccine alfredo with shrimp and crab, or rosemary chicken with couscous. The dessert course was eggnog crème brûlée or a mint chocolate cake. We had the lobster bisque, prime rib, and crème brûlée. Each dish was very well prepared and delicious. The bisque was a bit salty but still tasty. The service was excellent, rent attentive and responsive. Based on people's ratings I didn't give skates a chance but I'm glad we got to experience it. I'll be back for the prime rib! read more

Skates On The Bay - Eggnog crème brûlée - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

David is our server. He came over and instantly made us feel welcome. I could see he really enjoyed his job. He had a certain amount of energy that he shared with the table and it was very pleasant. Made us feel like we were at home. We ordered the prawn and crab linguine. It was absolutely over-the-top delicious. I like the fact that they give you quite a bit of fish on there. I would've loved to ace more crab, but that didn't take away from the delicious sauce that came with it. And that crispy garlic bread that was there Just made it so easy to clean up our plate at the end of the meal. We left nothing on that plate. With the big smile on our face. Madi closed our bill. She was a very charming and informative young lady that helped us. It was nice getting to know her a little bit and she reminded me a lot of of my own family and made me a tiny bit homesick because she was so sweet. My wife and I enjoyed taking a minute to talk with her. She obviously loves her job as well. She totally is people people. Just as David is. When we're out in that area, this is our go to restaurant you cannot beat the San Francisco Bay view especially it's sunset and the place is crazy fall. We came on a Sunday and it was packed, but the sunset was a five star sunset. If you wanna have a nice romantic dinner over the San Francisco Bay This is the place. read more

See all

The venue was amazing, as we sat near a large window overlooking the bay, while watching fishing boats return with their catches. Our waitress was amazing, displaying a constant smile, she helped us make entree selections suggesting that we skip the seafood platter type dishes, which we can get anywhere and settling on their specialties like the Black Cod and Swordfish. The food was amazing as my Cod came with a maple sauce and Bok Choi. I marked "ambiance" down a star as the venue needed updating. I say this as I observed the dirty, matted down carpet on the way to the restrooms. Overall, we had a great time celebrating our anniversary at this outstanding restaurant that we haven't visited in about eight years. read more

We had open table reservation and got a beautiful view of the bay from our table. The place was busy with holiday gatherings. We had their delish buttery garlic bread and a humungous dish of crispy calamari so light and crispy, crab and artichoke dip with bread. For entrees two ordered the shrimp and crab linguini, seared kalbi bao buns and I ordered the steamed clams and split a caesar salad with one of my friends. The clams were fine except they added chili flakes to the broth and it was too much kick for me. For dessert we shared creme brulee delish, key lime pie and the fried banana split that came with yummy toppings! Service was somewhat attentive but only one server in our area and he was quite busy read more

See all

Had my birthday lunch there last Sunday. I ordered salmon w mashed potatoes & asparagus, my sisters both ordered fish & chips & salad. All was very good. They brought creme brulee with candles to the table & sang happy birthday. Fun experience!! read more

Came here with the wife to celebrate our anniversary. Made a reservation through OpenTable and requested a table next to the water in the comments. And much to our delight, they actually sat us at a table with a magnificent view of the bay! Additionally, I had selected on the OpenTable reservation that this was celebrating an anniversary, and the server actually noticed that detail without any prompting and congratulated us several times throughout our meal for our special day. There are some mixed reviews here on Yelp about the food, but thankfully this was not our experience as everything we ordered was delicious! I had the Dungeness Crab & Shrimp Linguini, which consisted of garlic cream in a clam broth, with tomatoes, spinach, chili flakes, parmesan, and lemon. Plated with 4 large shrimps, nicely seared with a crispy tail shell, and topped with bits of Dungeness crab. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, the linguine cooked al dente, and the crab meat was fresh. My wife had the Grilled Seafood Trio, which consisted of 2 very large scallops, jumbo shrimps, a nicely cooked salmon filet, mashed potatoes, veggies and capers. She really enjoyed her selection as well, and was quite stuffed by the end of the meal. To top off our meal, we ended it with a Chocolate Raspberry Rendezvous for dessert. A molten chocolate cake topped with raspberry mousse, and accented with a sugar cone tuile cookie and fresh raspberries. Thank you Skates on the Bay for making our special day that much more memorable! We look forward to visiting a lot more for both future events as well as just to try out their happy hour menu. read more

See all

The location was prime on the bay looking toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Our large group of 13 enjoyed a fun evening at this seafood restaurant. It was upscale but not fussy. Service was good considering there were 3 large parties in our room. The clam chowder and lobster bisque were standout starters. My king salmon was tender and flavorful. The lemongrass black rice risotto was outstanding. Pesto shrimp was good, not great. I sampled the linguini with prawns and grilled Mahi Mahi and both were delicious. The Amalfi cocktail was not only pretty but unique with passion fruit purée and Aperol. I would definitely dine here again. read more

See all

Great experience from the moment we walked in, it was my birthday lunch my son told the hostess it was our first time at Skates, they wanted us to have an all around experience & so we did! We started off with a Pinot Noir and I had a martini ordered the calamari and artichokes so delishthen asked our waiter Antonio for suggestions I went with my first choice his pick as well I had the cciapino omg with the bread for dipping and my son had the seafood pasta, we wanted to share each others plates so the waiter suggested to split our dishes and we both experienced a happy tummy, the vibe was perfect not overly noisy. And the views were stunning! To end our meal Antonio brought me a crème brûlée dessert with a candle and we shared it! What a show and experience as our waiter said it would be! I'll be going back for date night. Kudos all the way around read more

See all

Friendly greeting from Hostess, had a 2:30 reservation and seated right away. However had to flag down a Server after waiting approximately 10 (not joking). Lovely view from Our table by the window. The Calamari to start, surprise was the artichoke that is included. Light, crisp, fresh breading, an incredible appetizer. Brewed Ice Tea very pallet pleasing. Jan ordered the Lobster and Shrimp Roll, Loved it. I'm a sucker for Fish and Chips. Will say Our Server redeemed herself during Service. Too full to try dessert, next time. Good Value, Fabulous setting on Berkeley Marina, no wonder they've been here 64 years and counting.. read more

I had a great time at the recent Berkeley Chamber mixer at Skates on the Bay. The food was a welcome upgrade from the usual networking event fare--fresh, well prepared, and something people were actually talking about. The handcrafted cocktails and curated drinks from the mixologist were outstanding and made the evening feel a little more special. Skates is a perfect place to host a business networking event, nonprofit gathering, or group meeting. The waterfront setting, sunsets, great service, and relaxed atmosphere make it an easy place for people to connect and enjoy themselves. What's not to like? read more